ARM vs Bicep vs Terraform decision in Azure - Interactive Practice

Practice - 5 Tasks

1fill in blank

easy

Complete the code to declare a resource group using ARM template syntax.

Azure

{
  "$schema": "https://schema.management.azure.com/schemas/2019-04-01/subscriptionDeploymentTemplate.json#",
  "contentVersion": "1.0.0.0",
  "resources": [
    {
      "type": "Microsoft.Resources/resourceGroups",
      "apiVersion": "2021-04-01",
      "name": "[1]",
      "location": "eastus"
    }
  ]
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aeastus

BresourceGroupName

Clocation

DmyResourceGroup

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using a property name instead of a string value.

Confusing location with name.

In ARM templates, the name property specifies the resource group name. It should be a string like myResourceGroup.

2fill in blank

medium

Complete the Bicep code to create a storage account with the correct resource type.

Azure

resource storageAccount '[1]@2021-04-01' = {
  name: 'mystorageacct'
  location: 'eastus'
  kind: 'StorageV2'
  sku: {
    name: 'Standard_LRS'
  }
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

AMicrosoft.Compute/virtualMachines

BMicrosoft.Storage/storageAccounts

CMicrosoft.Network/virtualNetworks

DMicrosoft.Web/sites

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using a resource type for virtual machines or networks instead of storage.

Omitting the resource type version.

The resource type for a storage account in Bicep is Microsoft.Storage/storageAccounts.

3fill in blank

hard

Fix the error in this Terraform resource block by completing the provider declaration.

Azure

provider "[1]" {
  features {}
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aaws

Bazure

Cazurerm

Dgoogle

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using 'azure' instead of 'azurerm' as provider name.

Using providers for other clouds like AWS or Google.

Terraform uses azurerm as the provider name for Azure Resource Manager.

4fill in blank

hard

Fill both blanks to define a Bicep parameter with a default value and a type.

Azure

param [1] [2] = 'eastus'

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Alocation

Bstring

Cint

Dbool

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using a type that does not match the default value.

Confusing parameter name with type.

In Bicep, parameters are declared with a name and a type. Here, location is the name and string is the type.

5fill in blank

hard

Fill all three blanks to create a Terraform resource with a name, type, and location attribute.

Azure

resource [1] "[2]" {
  name     = "myResource"
  location = "[3]"
}

Drag options to blanks, or click blank then click option'

Aazurerm_resource_group

Bresource_group

Ceastus

Dwestus

Attempts:

3 left

💡 Hint

Common Mistakes

Using incorrect resource type names.

Using invalid location names.

In Terraform, azurerm_resource_group is the resource type, resource_group is the resource name, and eastus is a valid location.

Practice

1. Which tool is native to Azure and uses JSON for defining infrastructure?

easy

A. Terraform

B. Bicep

C. ARM templates

D. Ansible

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand native Azure tools

   ARM templates are the original native infrastructure-as-code tool for Azure using JSON format.

2. Step 2: Compare with other tools

   Bicep simplifies ARM but is not JSON; Terraform is multi-cloud and not native Azure.

3. Final Answer:

   ARM templates -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Native Azure tool with JSON = ARM templates [OK]

Hint: Native Azure + JSON = ARM templates [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing Bicep as native JSON tool
• Thinking Terraform is Azure native
• Selecting Ansible which is not Azure native

2. Which syntax correctly declares a resource in Bicep?

easy

A. resource vm 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines@2021-07-01' = { name: 'myVM' }

B.

C. resource "vm" { type = "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines" name = "myVM" }

D. vm_resource = { type: 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines', name: 'myVM' }

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify Bicep syntax

   Bicep uses the keyword 'resource' followed by a symbolic name, type with API version, and properties in braces.

2. Step 2: Compare options

   resource vm 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines@2021-07-01' = { name: 'myVM' } matches Bicep syntax; the XML-like syntax is invalid, the HCL-style block is Terraform syntax, and the plain object is invalid.

3. Final Answer:

   resource vm 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines@2021-07-01' = { name: 'myVM' } -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Bicep resource syntax = resource vm 'Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines@2021-07-01' = { name: 'myVM' } [OK]

Hint: Bicep uses 'resource name type@version = { }' syntax [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing Terraform syntax for Bicep
• Confusing ARM JSON/XML with Bicep
• Using invalid assignment formats

3. Given this Terraform snippet:

resource "azurerm_resource_group" "rg" {
  name     = "example-rg"
  location = "eastus"
}

What will happen when you run terraform apply?

medium

A. Deletes existing resource groups in East US

B. Fails because 'azurerm_resource_group' is invalid

C. Creates a virtual machine instead of a resource group

D. Creates a resource group named 'example-rg' in East US

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand Terraform resource block

   The block defines an Azure resource group named 'example-rg' in 'eastus' location.

2. Step 2: Predict Terraform apply behavior

   Terraform will create the resource group if it doesn't exist, no deletion or VM creation occurs.

3. Final Answer:

   Creates a resource group named 'example-rg' in East US -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Terraform resource block creates defined resource [OK]

Hint: Terraform resource block creates specified resource [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Thinking resource type is invalid
• Confusing resource group with VM
• Assuming deletion happens automatically

4. You try to deploy an ARM template but get a syntax error. Which is the most likely cause?

medium

A. Missing resource group in Terraform provider

B. Using Bicep syntax directly in ARM JSON template

C. Incorrect API version in Bicep resource declaration

D. Using Terraform commands on ARM template

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify syntax error source

   ARM templates require JSON syntax; using Bicep syntax directly causes errors.

2. Step 2: Eliminate other options

   Missing resource group affects Terraform, not ARM JSON; API version errors in Bicep cause deployment errors but not syntax errors; Terraform commands on ARM templates cause command errors, not syntax errors.

3. Final Answer:

   Using Bicep syntax directly in ARM JSON template -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   ARM JSON syntax error = Bicep syntax used wrongly [OK]

Hint: ARM templates need JSON, not Bicep syntax [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Mixing Bicep syntax in ARM JSON
• Confusing deployment errors with syntax errors
• Assuming Terraform errors affect ARM templates

5. Your company uses Azure and AWS. You want a single tool to manage infrastructure on both clouds with reusable code. Which tool should you choose?

hard

A. Terraform

B. Bicep

C. Azure CLI scripts

D. ARM templates

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify multi-cloud support

   Terraform supports multiple cloud providers including Azure and AWS with reusable code modules.

2. Step 2: Compare other tools

   ARM and Bicep are Azure-only; Azure CLI scripts are Azure-specific and not declarative infrastructure code.

3. Final Answer:

   Terraform -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Multi-cloud infrastructure tool = Terraform [OK]

Hint: Terraform works across clouds, ARM/Bicep only Azure [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Choosing ARM or Bicep for multi-cloud
• Thinking Azure CLI manages AWS
• Ignoring Terraform's multi-cloud strength